tag:www.schneier.com,2015:/blog//2/tag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-2015-03-28T03:10:14ZComments for Petition the U.S. Government to Force the TSA to Follow the LawA blog covering security and security technology.Movable Typetag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:1140029Comment from Gratitude on 2013-02-08Gratitude
I WILL NOT sign this bull. I have not had any problems with the TSA. It's funny how people so no appreciation for something until they really need it. I think the government should take the TSA away. Terrorists would hijack aircraft and fly them into buildings and I'll be laughing when the same ungrateful people are begging the government to bring back the TSA. People are idiots.]]>
2013-02-08T20:32:54Z2013-02-08T20:32:54Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:981806Comment from jsdavis on 2012-11-13jsdavis
The point is exhaust the "Administrative" Petiton then move to the Court. The Government looks foolish if it has a process but never follows it. The Court needs to hold someone, like the Secretary of Transportation, in Contempt and then in jail until the Court's oder is obeyed. Too much fun.]]>
2012-11-13T20:53:34Z2012-11-13T20:53:34Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:842278Comment from Mark F on 2012-08-11Mark F
From: http://epic.org/2012/08/white-house-pulls-down-tsa-pet.html

At approximately 11:30 am EDT, the White House removed a petition about the TSA airport screening procedures from the White House "We the People" website. About 22,500 of the 25,000 signatures necessary for a response from the Administration were obtained when the White House unexpectedly cut short the time period for the petition. The site also went down for "maintenance" following an article in Wired that sought support for the campaign.

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2012-08-11T21:51:50Z2012-08-11T21:51:50Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:836177Comment from William Lawrence on 2012-08-05William Lawrence
That the TSA gives us a choice to either have our balls X-Rayed or Squeezed just to get on a goddamn airplane is indicative of how absurdly docile and pathologically passive we have become as sheep-citizens.
TSA continues to inflate its mandate into a colossal and multi billion dollar bureaucracy with ever diminishing usefulness, ABOLISH TSA ONCE AND FOR ALL. ]]>
2012-08-05T07:42:42Z2012-08-05T07:42:42Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:830276Comment from Robert Coggins on 2012-07-30Robert Coggins
This needs to get back out again! There were about 1000 signatures a day, but now there are about 100 per day and it does not look like it will get the required signatures at this rate. Let people know!]]>
2012-07-30T13:06:06Z2012-07-30T13:06:06Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:826419Comment from Jack on 2012-07-25Jack
it is still 9,470 votes short of 25,000.

My concern is that above petition could lead to a control of psychotronic weapons, and the right to carry weapons is constitutionally quaranteed.

If psychotronic weapons are banned, only criminals will have psychotronic weapons!

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2012-07-25T15:19:45Z2012-07-25T15:19:45Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:821060Comment from Jake on 2012-07-18Jake
what is the TSA? the government.

who makes the laws? the government.

nope, don't see a conflict of interest here. not a one.

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2012-07-19T00:06:32Z2012-07-19T00:06:32Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:818889Comment from JohnP on 2012-07-16JohnP
a) America is not, and never has been a Democracy. We are a Republic.

b) Expecting this petition to do anything more than gather awareness is crazy. Awareness is good.

c) While I doubt that signing will cause special additional TSA screening, having been through an enhanced pat-down when trying to return to the USA, I'm unwilling to sign it.

d) Yes, I'm scared to comment "on the record" due to abuse potential. Is that really the intent of the TSA and USA government? Should any average citizen really be afraid to publicly comment about government stances and actions we don't like?

Congratulations terrorists. You've won. My freedom of speech is effectively gone and it was taken from me by the USA government.

]]>
2012-07-16T14:13:39Z2012-07-16T14:13:39Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:818874Comment from Leyton Pitzer on 2012-07-16Leyton Pitzer
How is it that this petition was over 16,000 and is now at 12,000? Are our votes moving it backwards? Did the administration reset the petition?]]>
2012-07-16T13:25:45Z2012-07-16T13:25:45Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:817646Comment from Derf on 2012-07-14Derf
The healthcare act made your doctor a veterinarian, you the dog, and the government your owner. Obama has basically reinvented the Führerprinzip to order ICE to stop deportation. Do you really think a petition will make any headway against the entrenched police state the government has always wanted?]]>
2012-07-14T13:55:16Z2012-07-14T13:55:16Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:817299Comment from charles yeager on 2012-07-13charles yeager
So many seem to believe that this will have no effect. That's what keeps people from being involved. It never stops corporations from trying for what they want. When we want change we have to keep pushing rather than complaining that it is a waste of time.
]]>
2012-07-13T23:03:05Z2012-07-13T23:03:05Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:817042Comment from echowit on 2012-07-13echowit
11158 as of 8:44]]>
2012-07-13T13:44:36Z2012-07-13T13:44:36Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816873Comment from onearmedspartan on 2012-07-13onearmedspartan
I support and signed this petition but I doubt anything will come out of it. If Eric Smolder can get his buddy Barry to get his back, I'm pretty sure he will do the same for John pedo-stole.]]>
2012-07-13T06:26:21Z2012-07-13T06:26:21Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816754Comment from oliver on 2012-07-12oliver
as a radiologist i'm utterly chocked by these X ray scanners ... how can they replace an harmless technic like a patdown with a low energy xray machine that deliver all the dose to the skin of a VERY LARGE population ....????]]>
2012-07-12T23:28:39Z2012-07-12T23:28:39Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816752Comment from Dirk Praet on 2012-07-12Dirk Praet
Best comment found on the net so far: "TSA has opted out of following the law for a year now. Isn't it time we give them a pat-down? "]]>
2012-07-12T23:24:39Z2012-07-12T23:24:39Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816552Comment from Peter Pearson on 2012-07-12Peter Pearson
Looking at the subject material of the other petitions on petitions.whitehouse.gov -- a world language, Roswell investigations, mind control -- makes me wonder how seriously the President should take this site.]]>
2012-07-12T16:51:13Z2012-07-12T16:51:13Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816518Comment from Bob T on 2012-07-12Bob T
How do you know the real tally isn't 28,750?

This is like me intruding on other employees personal files and my boss posting an obscure petition explaining that I'll be disciplined if he gets enough signatures.

What a joke.

]]>
2012-07-12T15:52:40Z2012-07-12T15:52:40Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816480Comment from Tom on 2012-07-12Tom
8750]]>
2012-07-12T14:40:32Z2012-07-12T14:40:32Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816464Comment from Cbob on 2012-07-12Cbob
Considering the TSA/Security theater is just an extension of the whole Cold War military industrial complex, the only changes I expect to see are further erosion of civil/individual rights & bigger budgets to make that happen. ]]>
2012-07-12T14:01:14Z2012-07-12T14:01:14Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816436Comment from Tom on 2012-07-12Tom
Sorry for OT, but this might be of interest:

A researcher/hacker at Security Research Labs (SRLabs) has found several software and hardware vulnerabilities. Via an attack, for example over the terminal's ethernet or wireless LAN adapter and TCP/IP, it is possible to clone the card data, alter or fake transactions. The Hardware Security Module could not be hacked, but full access over the rest of the device (they installed pong) allows to display a fake "not accepted" warning and allows stealing the PIN.

The news is right now starting to spread among german news agencies. The biggest german IT news ticker "heise" (http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/EC-Karten-PIN-Klau-am-Kartenterminal-moeglich-1636550.html) and the well-respected "Zeit" (http://www.zeit.de/digital/datenschutz/2012-07/ec-karten-hack/komplettansicht) have more information, unfortunatelly not in english.

Some additional info from these articles:
- The hacked terminal is the "Artemis Hybrid" manufactured by Verifone
- 300.000 of these terminals are installed in Germany
- Verifone, the german banking association and the Federal Office for Information Security have been informed about the vulnerabilities 4 (four!) months ago
- The manufacturer of course downplays the dangers and says the hack would just be possible under "laboratory conditions" and that no PIN theft would be possible during the payment procedure (which is technically right, but it is impossible for the user to discern the real payment from the fake messages on the terminal)

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2012-07-12T13:05:06Z2012-07-12T13:05:06Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816267Comment from Lisa on 2012-07-12Lisa
As long as a majority of voters are stupid sheep willing to cast votes for whatever con artists that have the most expensive and negative (yes fear is a negative) campaign, and against their own interests, this petition is useless.

Do you really think thousands or even millions of signatures on a petition has any hope of reducing the multi-billion dollar terrorism industrial complex, that provides more than enough funding to politicians and their campaigns?

The 99% which contains many living on the margins, does not have enough disposable money to out-bribe the richer and more organized 1%.

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2012-07-12T05:57:57Z2012-07-12T05:57:57Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816264Comment from David on 2012-07-12David
I would love to sign the petition, but the javascript button doesn't seem to work correctly. I click the button, expecting to have a place to enter some information but all it does is increment the counter up by one number and thank me for signing the petition. Doesn't sound like the petition will be effective if there is no identifying information collected...]]>
2012-07-12T05:51:28Z2012-07-12T05:51:28Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816251Comment from Erica on 2012-07-12Erica
7593.

OK, this should be easy...can the US public go on a six-year campaign to unseat every member of Congress and replace them with representatives who actually represent something other than themselves? And repeal many of the laws that the current group of miscreants has passed?

Too easy, eh?

]]>
2012-07-12T05:11:41Z2012-07-12T05:11:41Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816248Comment from Alden on 2012-07-12Alden
Signed.]]>
2012-07-12T05:07:34Z2012-07-12T05:07:34Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816239Comment from Anton on 2012-07-11Anton
7471]]>
2012-07-12T04:35:10Z2012-07-12T04:35:10Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816219Comment from Andy on 2012-07-11Andy
Up to 7225 now]]>
2012-07-12T03:41:41Z2012-07-12T03:41:41Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816214Comment from Joe White on 2012-07-11Joe Whitehttp://blog.excastle.com/
I also ran into the mongodb error, but it looks like they've fixed it now. The count is now 7,090.]]>
2012-07-12T03:26:09Z2012-07-12T03:26:09Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816213Comment from Stephen Northcott on 2012-07-11Stephen Northcott
I will no longer visit America on business or for pleasure until the current situation changes. As it stands I have declined numerous invites to the US, or business opportunities within the US, for over 10 years.]]>
2012-07-12T03:25:03Z2012-07-12T03:25:03Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816204Comment from Joe on 2012-07-11Joe
@ Jeff Pierce

Maybe he'll take a break from arming the cartels and blaming us for it, trying to prevent states from enforcing the voting laws of the United States, and lying to Congress long enough to look into it. He seems pretty busy though, so don't hold your breath.

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2012-07-12T03:02:08Z2012-07-12T03:02:08Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816201Comment from Jeff Pierce on 2012-07-11Jeff Piercehttp://fttusa.org
ATTENTION: As of 10:53PM EST on July 11th, the current VOTE Count has been ROLLED-BACK to 3,669.

It was 5,114 as of 4:32PM Bruce Schneier local time.

Perhaps AG Eric Holder will sue the site for disenfranchising voters?

I recommend everyone go back, and retell all, to vote again to make sure your vote counts. Is it just coincidence this happens with the TSA petition?

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2012-07-12T02:56:41Z2012-07-12T02:56:41Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816199Comment from John David Galt on 2012-07-11John David Galt
Trying to get the TSA to follow the law (without making its agents personally accountable to victims in a court of law) is like trying to get a wolf to turn vegetarian.

I say, ABOLISH the TSA. They accomplish nothing except to intimidate innocent Americans into putting up with Gestapo-like behavior by cops and wannabe-cops. (TSA agents are not actually peace officers and cannot make arrests.)

And while we're at it, let's strip ALL police of their immunity from lawsuits when they violate people's rights.

I want our constitutional form of government back.

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2012-07-12T02:51:52Z2012-07-12T02:51:52Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816168Comment from redfood on 2012-07-11redfood
For those who are wondering were to sign up - click on the "This" in the beginning of the post.

To Bruce Schneier - if you want to maximize signatures you may want to make the link more obvious maybe with "Everyone should sign _this petition_" (where "this petition" is the link).

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2012-07-12T01:53:21Z2012-07-12T01:53:21Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816167Comment from Spellucci on 2012-07-11Spellucci
And now it gets a MongoDB error: http://minus.com/mzWfuGgWp/1f
]]>
2012-07-12T01:46:53Z2012-07-12T01:46:53Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816149Comment from Rob Nugen on 2012-07-11Rob Nugen
Site overloaded? It responded "down for repairs" when I tried to sign up. Nice way to keep me from voting...

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2012-07-12T01:15:00Z2012-07-12T01:15:00Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816138Comment from saukko on 2012-07-11saukko
i fully support this petition...the tsa needs to be held accountable to the citizens that support it as its tax base and because the tsa stands in the way of citizens' right to privacy.]]>
2012-07-12T00:34:53Z2012-07-12T00:34:53Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816135Comment from supersaurus on 2012-07-11supersaurus
The name ???@xxxxx.com is already taken.
The e-mail address ???@?????.com is already registered. Have you forgotten your password?

well, no actually, because I never got to a screen that asked for my password.

@pfogg
and yes, it has been a good many hours with no email, password or no.

effective software testing is a wonderful thing...or so I have heard.

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2012-07-12T00:24:22Z2012-07-12T00:24:22Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816133Comment from Steve on 2012-07-11Steve
Please provide petitioning link!?!!?!]]>
2012-07-12T00:21:32Z2012-07-12T00:21:32Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816132Comment from averros on 2012-07-11averros
Yep. Force TSA to follow the law by stopping it searching travelers and seizing their possessions without any probable cause.

Oh, darn. The only way TSA can comply is to abolish itself. And, as we know, the Iron Law of Bureaucracy is that it never goes away. Too bad for the law.

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2012-07-12T00:19:35Z2012-07-12T00:19:35Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816131Comment from Dirk Praet on 2012-07-11Dirk Praet
Time for an old Sydney Smith (1771–1845) quote: "It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little."

@ A Telco Security Dweeb

Get used to it : America hasn't been a democracy for some time, isn't a democracy now, and is becoming steadily less democratic, with each passing year.

The only reason elites everywhere can keep getting away with what they do is because too few people care, and even less raise their voice. Whining about stuff only has never brought about any change, nowhere. Sorry to say this, but it would seem that many folks in the land of the free and the home of the brave today have significantly smaller cojones than those in countries like Tunesia, Egypt, Iran, Bahrain, Libya and Syria.

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2012-07-12T00:17:06Z2012-07-12T00:17:06Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816130Comment from pfogg on 2012-07-11pfogg
If you treat the "Our appologies...site maintenance...'" error as the message "Wait for an email with instructions for completing registration", everything's fine.]]>
2012-07-12T00:13:49Z2012-07-12T00:13:49Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816117Comment from AJ on 2012-07-11AJ
Maintenance seems to be over, the count is now 6,024 signatures.]]>
2012-07-11T23:14:26Z2012-07-11T23:14:26Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816099Comment from Steven Klein on 2012-07-11Steven Klein
If a Republican were in the White House, would you treat the TSA as some kind of rogue agency, defying the president’s wishes?

Don't be naïve. The TSA is part of the executive branch, and TSA administrator John S. Pistole is an Obama appointee.

By definition, it follows the president's wishes. In refusing to obey the courts, the TSA is carrying out administration policy, not defying it.

The petition should be titled “Petition the Obama Administration to obey the law.”

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2012-07-11T22:43:27Z2012-07-11T22:43:27Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816088Comment from Jeff Pierce on 2012-07-11Jeff Piercehttp://fttusa.org
@mingoV. If you count up comments at all sites that post something on the TSA, it is overwhelmingly 80%+ against the TSA.

The problem is one cannot individually do anything at an airport that makes a difference, hence the tactics of political opposition to influence change.

The majority of voters do not approve, but there is not enough of a majority to complain as many will give up their rights and accept 20 seconds of anti-constitutional convenience.

EVERYONE who is truly against the policies must do the simple things such as signing the petition. You can also join http://fttusa.org to stay in touch on other actions.

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2012-07-11T22:28:20Z2012-07-11T22:28:20Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816079Comment from Scared on 2012-07-11Scared
Looks like there's no problem if you use IE.
Explains why readers of this blog have problems.....]]>
2012-07-11T22:00:01Z2012-07-11T22:00:01Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816078Comment from MingoV on 2012-07-11MingoV
@Jeff Pierce a: "... build up enough momentum to get either the President (who could easily rollback the illegal strip search scanners..."

The same President Obama who invited the CEO of the nudie scanner company to accompany him on the junket to India and Indonesia? The same President Obama who heartily approved the revised TSA policy to use the nudie scanners for *primary* screening instead of secondary and to quadruple the purchase of nudie scanners?

The only way Obama will oppose use of the nudie scanners is if the issue could cost him the election. Since the majority of voters approve the idiotic procedures of the TSA, that's not going to happen.

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2012-07-11T21:58:32Z2012-07-11T21:58:32Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816067Comment from Scared on 2012-07-11Scared
5114, including mine. I did get an email back and my signature got counted. The error message is an error (or is it?).
Fortune favors the persistent.]]>
2012-07-11T21:32:08Z2012-07-11T21:32:08Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816063Comment from Scared on 2012-07-11Scared
5,019 signatures. And yes:

"Our Apologies....

The site is currently undergoing maintenance. We appreciate your patience while we make some improvements.

Please check back soon."

]]>
2012-07-11T21:25:41Z2012-07-11T21:25:41Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816062Comment from SecretCISO on 2012-07-11SecretCISO
Little Rick O'Leary must REALLY like his free ice cream...]]>
2012-07-11T21:25:15Z2012-07-11T21:25:15Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816059Comment from SecretCISO on 2012-07-11SecretCISO
Apparently the White House doesn't like folks signing these petitions, the sight is up and down like a yo-yo]]>
2012-07-11T21:19:32Z2012-07-11T21:19:32Ztag:www.schneier.com,2012:/blog//2.4423-comment:816056Comment from A Telco Security Dweeb on 2012-07-11A Telco Security Dweeb
There isn't a chance that this will have any effect, because both political parties in the United States (as well as, incidentally, both Presidential candidates) are solidly and unquestioningly in favour of the "Permanent Police State", necessary to enforce compliance with the "Permanent War On Drugs" and the "Permanent War On Terror".

As I regularly remind my fellow non-American correspondents, "Get used to it : America hasn't been a democracy for some time, isn't a democracy now, and is becoming steadily less democratic, with each passing year."

Mr. Pistole, as well as Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney, laughs at your pathetic little petitions. They're the elite, you're the peasantry, and you had better learn to live with it.

Unless, of course, you'd prefer a stint in maximum security somewhere (I hear Guantanamo's nice, these days), for "being a member of a 'pro-terrorist' group".